Welsh football and rugby union

[William Treseder]

It’s a thing that has puzzled me for as long as I can remember.
We are a relatively small nation compared to the rest of the UK and Ireland. Yet we have produced some absolutely world class footballers and Rugby players. We have more often than not punched above our weight in the 5 nations, then the 6 nations, and now and again in international football.
Both sports in Wales have seen real golden eras, yet there is a continual battle between both sets of fans. That mindset is madness.
I see the old reasons/excuses about my PE teacher wouldn’t let me play football, the media are biased blah blah blah, continually trotted out on here.
I would wager that there isn’t one football message board in England, Scotland and Ireland that have threads belittling their own international rugby teams, and basking in gloating when that rugby team lose. It’s just a Welsh mentality.
Me personally being a Welshman, I want all Welsh sportsmen and Sportswomen involved in any sport to do as well and win as much as they can.

[Hilts]

Wales didn't punch above their weight in the 5 Nations in particular. It's very much well behind Football in popularity in the other Nations

You can't compare Football v Rugby. Football is a global sport. Our team has near zero chance of winning a World Cup ever. Far too many Nations with bigger populations and people participating.

Rugby is a minority sport where few countries have any real interest and probably only New Zealand where it's the most popular sport in the country.

Wales are not the complete minnows fighting against the odds in Rugby and one day could win a World Cup.

[William Treseder]

Wales didn't punch above their weight in the 5 Nations in particular. It's very much well behind Football in popularity in the other Nations

You can't compare Football v Rugby. Football is a global sport. Our team has near zero chance of winning a World Cup ever. Far too many Nations with bigger populations and people participating.

Rugby is a minority sport where few countries have any real interest and probably only New Zealand where it's the most popular sport in the country.

Wales are not the complete minnows fighting against the odds in Rugby and one day could win a World Cup.

You are correct in everything you say, except when it comes to the 5nations and 6 nations Wales are joint most title winners with England.
My point is, the bitterness shown between both sets of supporters toward each others sports. You don’t get that in other countries, that play both games.

[Hilts]

You are correct in everything you say, except when it comes to the 5nations and 6 nations Wales are joint most title winners with England.
My point is, the bitterness shown between both sets of supporters toward each others sports. You don’t get that in other countries, that play both games.

I just don't think football supporters in the other countries care much at all about rugby sides as its clearly a minority sport.

I'm not convinced all Rugby League fans are 100% behind the Union side mind or the Gaelic Football fans in Ireland.

[ninian opinian]

The majority of egg chasers including the players support the big English football clubs. Hate England in rugby love them in football. Sine patriots they are.

[William Treseder]

I just don't think football supporters in the other countries care much at all about rugby sides as its clearly a minority sport.

I'm not convinced all Rugby League fans are 100% behind the Union side mind or the Gaelic Football fans in Ireland.

I understand what you are saying, and agree with you, but you are missing my point.
We have City fans on here who genuinely enjoy it when Wales get beat in the rugby. That’s the bit I don’t get.
I’m a city supporter and football follower first and foremost, but I’d never wallow in the Welsh rugby team or Welsh rugby club sides getting beat.
I can’t stand cricket, but I’d never want Glamorgan to lose.

[Vic Flange]

The problem with rugby obsessed PE teachers in South Wales schools still very much exists. In my kids school for example, the very school that produced Wales greatest ever footballer (despite the school, certainly not because of it) football (or soccer as the PE department still patronisingly refer to it) is very much looked down upon. The provision for training and games is utterly pathetic and something they should be ashamed of.

Also the attitude is still rife among its fans, who often refer to the game as ‘Wendyball’ and claim that rugby is a ‘mans game’ and football players are ‘fairies’ and the fans ‘thugs’.

I used to love rugby years ago but it’s this constant snobbery towards the beautiful game along with how a game which is now just a boring game of 15 giants running into each other with rules so ridiculously complicated that the referee has to have a microphone to explain their decisions, that long since drove me and many others away from it.

They’ve only got themselves to blame.

[the other bob wilson]

It’s a thing that has puzzled me for as long as I can remember.
We are a relatively small nation compared to the rest of the UK and Ireland. Yet we have produced some absolutely world class footballers and Rugby players. We have more often than not punched above our weight in the 5 nations, then the 6 nations, and now and again in international football.
Both sports in Wales have seen real golden eras, yet there is a continual battle between both sets of fans. That mindset is madness.
I see the old reasons/excuses about my PE teacher wouldn’t let me play football, the media are biased blah blah blah, continually trotted out on here.
I would wager that there isn’t one football message board in England, Scotland and Ireland that have threads belittling their own international rugby teams, and basking in gloating when that rugby team lose. It’s just a Welsh mentality.
Me personally being a Welshman, I want all Welsh sportsmen and Sportswomen involved in any sport to do as well and win as much as they can.

It used to be I'd always support any Welsh sports team or player no matter what the event, but, in the last thirty years (more or less since it went professional), I've gone right off the Welsh national rugby team and it hasn't really got much to do with the team or the sport, but it's about the nature of the support the team receives durimng the Six Nations.

I watched two games involving Wales over the past couple of days as I got right into the Under 20 game which was played like rugby was when I used to go to Wales games in the 70s and 80s. There were always those who were there more for a piss up than the rugby, but it felt like the large majority were there for the game and they cared deeply about the outcome - I only watched it on the telly, but Friday night at Cardiff Arms Park had that sort of feel to it, whereas, as per normal, the senior side game had more of s feel of a load of people out on a jolly.

Watching England score three tries in about five minutes after we'd got it back to 7-14 was enough for me to switch over, but, in truth, it had as much to do with the endless crowd shots of people wearing red grinning inanely because they' were appearing on the big screen - no one seemed bothered that Wales were oin their way to a record defeat as they extended their record for the most consecutive defeats.

[Trigger]

I want Wales to do well in everything, just as I do if it's someone or a team representing GB.

Same goes for any Cardiff side.

I've always found Welsh rugby fans amusing though (not all of course), the vast majority at that event yesterday don't go to club rugby, either at all or very rarely. Then you have the thousands that fill out bars that barely know the basic rules of the game.

I want them to do well but at the same time a lot of the fans at these events are basically your man united fan in Bridgend.

Then you have the appalling wru, less said the better.

Pyrotechnics and all the pomp with the roof shut on a dry day for a team that are no hopers just about sums up the state of it all at the moment.

[JamesWales]

It’s a thing that has puzzled me for as long as I can remember.
We are a relatively small nation compared to the rest of the UK and Ireland. Yet we have produced some absolutely world class footballers and Rugby players. We have more often than not punched above our weight in the 5 nations, then the 6 nations, and now and again in international football.
Both sports in Wales have seen real golden eras, yet there is a continual battle between both sets of fans. That mindset is madness.
I see the old reasons/excuses about my PE teacher wouldn’t let me play football, the media are biased blah blah blah, continually trotted out on here.
I would wager that there isn’t one football message board in England, Scotland and Ireland that have threads belittling their own international rugby teams, and basking in gloating when that rugby team lose. It’s just a Welsh mentality.
Me personally being a Welshman, I want all Welsh sportsmen and Sportswomen involved in any sport to do as well and win as much as they can.

Great post #1.

[JamesWales]

It used to be I'd always support any Welsh sports team or player no matter what the event, but, in the last thirty years (more or less since it went professional), I've gone right off the Welsh national rugby team and it hasn't really got much to do with the team or the sport, but it's about the nature of the support the team receives durimng the Six Nations.

I watched two games involving Wales over the past couple of days as I got right into the Under 20 game which was played like rugby was when I used to go to Wales games in the 70s and 80s. There were always those who were there more for a piss up than the rugby, but it felt like the large majority were there for the game and they cared deeply about the outcome - I only watched it on the telly, but Friday night at Cardiff Arms Park had that sort of feel to it, whereas, as per normal, the senior side game had more of s feel of a load of people out on a jolly.

Watching England score three tries in about five minutes after we'd got it back to 7-14 was enough for me to switch over, but, in truth, it had as much to do with the endless crowd shots of people wearing red grinning inanely because they' were appearing on the big screen - no one seemed bothered that Wales were oin their way to a record defeat as they extended their record for the most consecutive defeats.

Great post #2

[insider]

Rugby is for fat blokes that can't play football

[WJ99mobile]

You are correct in everything you say, except when it comes to the 5nations and 6 nations Wales are joint most title winners with England.
My point is, the bitterness shown between both sets of supporters toward each others sports. You don’t get that in other countries, that play both games.

It’s Wales’ national sport, why wouldn’t they do well?

[Canton Kev]

The problem with rugby obsessed PE teachers in South Wales schools still very much exists. In my kids school for example, the very school that produced Wales greatest ever footballer (despite the school, certainly not because of it) football (or soccer as the PE department still patronisingly refer to it) is very much looked down upon. The provision for training and games is utterly pathetic and something they should be ashamed of.

Also the attitude is still rife among its fans, who often refer to the game as ‘Wendyball’ and claim that rugby is a ‘mans game’ and football players are ‘fairies’ and the fans ‘thugs’.

I went to that school, and from my experience it was only one particular teacher like that. He also works part time in some capacity for the WRU (or did when I was still there).

I’d actually say football is better catered for than rugby in terms of PE, I can’t comment on the actual school teams as I wasn’t really involved in either, but the PE facilities for everything but rugby were pretty decent. The Power League pitches were great for doing football, likewise the new(ish) sports halls in both Upper and Lower sites were well equipped for basketball, hockey and athletics.

Maybe it’s changed since I left, but I’d guess Rugby was my least played sport in PE across all my years in school. Most of the time the pitches were frozen and there was hardly any equipment.

Also let’s not kid on football fans aren’t full of disparaging and obnoxious comments about rugby…

[delmbox]

It’s Wales’ national sport, why wouldn’t they do well?

Why is it the national sport? In terms of weekly attendances it's not

[splott parker]

It’s Wales’ national sport, why wouldn’t they do well?

Wales’ most popular/national sport, unfortunately for our 4 EFL clubs, is Premier League football.